The Quiet Front
by Queen of the Carnies
Summary: AU Ciel spent his days innocently playing with Alois, basking in the love of his parents. Everything changes when Britain enters the Great War. Now he must learn to bear new responsibilities and face new trials. Helping him along the way is Sebastian, a mysterious and unsettling new arrival to the household. But just who is this man? And what sort of secrets are following him? C/S
1. Chapter 1

**Ciel/Sebastian and Alois/Clause with some Ciel/Alois. AU, takes place primarily during WWI. Tried my best to make the dialogue match the time, hope you like it!**

Deep in the English countryside, sat a lavish manor. Nearly two kilometers away from the city and guarded by the green, watery moor, the manor held a small but loving family.

Vincent Phantomhive, tall and handsome with dark hair and dark eyes and very strong arms. His wife, Rachel, a pretty little thing with deep honey curls pinned modestly atop her ever smiling face. And lastly, of course, their darling little boy, Ciel.

Born December 14th, 1899 and sweet as the Mince Pies he so adored, Ciel was a lovely child if ever there was one.

While the word "handsome" could be used to describe this young boy, but more than often he was called "beautiful" (to which Ciel would wriggle his little nose, as only girls were called beautiful and he was most certainly _not_ a girl). He was, however, be it handsome or beautiful, a very good looking child. He had feathery dark hair, like his father, but from the rest came his mother, as Ciel had her dainty little nose and deep blue eyes and face the shape of a heart.

It was not just the boy's looks than won folks over; it was the joy he radiated, for no one could resist a smile when in the presence of Ciel Phantomhive. He seemed to share his fathers' and mothers' magical ability cause those around him to instantly swoon.

Which is why his close friendship with the infamous Alois Trancy was both surprising (and really not surprising at all).

Alois was quite nearly the opposite of Ciel. One year older, he was spoiled and loud and rather nasty in temper. He was very unpleasant to be around, and not even his own parents wish him to be near (which only seemed to worsen his very horrid attitude).

Then, one cold and cloudy spring afternoon, the Trancy's piled into their automobile, unable to leave Alois at the manor (his nanny, his fifth nanny, had stormed off just that morning, vowing never to return), and they simply refused to reschedule for a second time.

The parents and their children, all sat around a cherry-wood table, sipping tea and lemon tart skillfully prepared by the Phantomhive's butler. While the adults exchanged pleasantries and talked about boring matters, the boys fidgeted in their seats.

Ciel, sitting in his mother's lap, whispered something on her ear.

The women giggled "Oh of course dear!"

The young boy jumped off of his mother's lap and walked up to the child, smiling playfully. Alois, seated between his parents, simply glared, looking awfully sour and as unpleasant as he could possibly muster.

"Would you like to come play with me?" Little Ciel asked.

The young Trancy sneered and turned his head away. "No, I don't think I shall!"

While Mr. and Mrs. Trancy looked utterly horrified with their son's rude (but not unexpected) behavior, Vincent and Rachel laughed.

Alois turned his head back to Ciel, slowly, for the other boy was sniffling!

The young Trancy looked utterly shocked, for no one had ever been so sad when he said no to them! (And he said no to quite a few people on many, many occasions. **No** was his favorite word to use!) Nobody ever really wanted to be around him, not without being forced...

"Fine, fine! I'll play with you; just stop crying like a baby!"

Immediately Ciel stopped and flashed a brilliant smile, before dragging the other boy from between his parents and far-far away from the adults and their boring talk.

For a moment, Vincent wondered if his 6 year old son was perhaps, not as innocent as he seemed, but resolved to himself that long as Ciel didn't use his powers of persuasion for naughtiness, then it was just fine.

* * *

The relationship Ciel and Alois shared was rather unique (albeit queer) one. Ciel regard Alois, as a younger child regarded an "admirable" older child: with a slight awe. And Alois, very attention starved, basked in this admiration, as any lonely child would. Ciel never felt the need to annoyingly mimic his friends every move, and was, for the most part, independent (which Alois was perfectly content with, given he was a terrible, terrible influence.)

Mr. and Mrs. Trancy were delighted their sour and disagreeable son had managed to find a friend (and a way to keep out of their business and general vicinity.) Vincent and Rachel were happy Ciel had found a playmate, as they often worried his constant sickness and frailty would prevent him from socializing as other children do. Alois had no qualms about traveling to the Phantomhive manor.

Nearly every day, after he has finished his studies, Alois would ride his bicycle along the rich countryside, as the Phantomhive's live only 10 minutes away, and he did enjoy the time to calm his nerves.

Mr. Phantomhive would laugh and recall upon the days when he was young, while Tanaka, who had been the Phantomhive butler for quite some time, would pitch in a piece or two.

"I remember, when I was your age, my father would have insisted I take as horse drawn carriage, even if my friend lived down the road!" both Ciel and Alois would giggle, because it seemed awfully silly to do so much just to make such a small distance. "Yes, yes boys, I kid you not! Things were quite different then, under Queen Victoria's rule. The aristocracy was very ridiculous."

Then Tanaka would tell them all sorts of stories from his youth, and the "Land of the Rising Sun".

Alois found he rather liked Ciel's parents, much more than his own. They were very kind, and very welcoming, even when he was in a rotten mood.

The young Trancy often wondered how in the world they had fostered such a fair-looking child! His father was a gluttonous man, bulbous and beefy and not at all handsome. While his mother might be pretty, had her face not so resembled that of a horses! No, no, Alois did not like them one bit! He was very glad he didn't look anything like them.

And Ciel would never quite understand why Alois held such a strong dislike for his parents, as Alois was never one to waste valuable play-time by divulging in such details.

Together, the two friends were inseparable, and despite their constant bickering, they were tied together by an indestructible thread.

There were times, however, when Alois would come over, near-tears and trying to work himself out of hysterics. Times when Alois would act very queerly when Ciel touched him, as if his touch burned. Sometimes Ciel would drag Alois out to the edge of the moor, with a picnic basket in his hand, and they would laugh and play and eat until they had quite forgotten whatever there was to be sad over. Other times, he would simply allow Alois to sob in his bed, gingerly patting his friends back and reassuring Alois of his presence.

Never would Alois tell Ciel why he was feeling so cross, so Ciel had stopped asking. But when Alois was done being bothered, Ciel would tug on the sleeves of his blazer and they would go running down the stairs. Tanaka would serve them tea and cold beef with rolls of lunch and then they would play outside and have a jolly time.

"Today we're going to play pirates! And I get to be the captain!"

"Why do you get to be the captain?" Ciel whined.

"Be-cause! I'm bigger than you are and older and that means that you have to do what I tell you!"

"That's not fair! That's not fair!" Shouted Ciel. "I bet you just made that up!"

"No I didn't!" Alois shouted back with equal vigor. "Older kids always get to boss the younger kids around! Everyone knows that, the only reason you don't is because you're stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" he stomped his foot on every "S".

"Don't call me that or I'll box you in the head, I swear I will!"

Ciel's bulldog, Sebastian then came out to express his displeasure at all the ruckus by barking.

"Oh that's a wonderful idea Sebastian! Ciel, Sebastian said we should have a race to that tree, and whoever wins gets to be the Pirate Captain!"

Ciel muttered something about dogs not being able to speak English, but both boys finally agreed. They both ran to the tree, a race with of course, Alois being both taller and better in health had won. Ciel, however, didn't seem to mind as much as he minded a very large black and yellow garden spider that was much too close to his vicinity!

"Alois, come look! What a ghastly thing!"

The older boy did not seem to share his friend's sentiments. Rather, he was delightfully intrigued by the creature.

"Ghastly? I'd rather saw marvelous don't you think? Look at the web, oh it does look quite complicated doesn't it? Besides," he continued, "nothing can beat a spider! Even though they're quite small, nothing wants to get close to their web!" He watched the spider with its long, spiny legs crawl about towards what appeared to be a struggling horse-fly.

Sadly enough, as if triggered by his words, both boys watched in shock as a great black raven swooped down and ate the spider in one great bite.

Alois shouted after the bird, "Get back here you big stupid bird! Get back here! Oh, Ciel, Ciel, what horrible thing to do don't you think? Simply awful!"

But Ciel dare not say anything, for he was secretly quite happy the spider was gone. He very much admired the big black raven, how it swooped down like a great shadow and carried the evil spider away.

Both boys, having forgotten their game of Pirates, ran inside to tell Ciel's mum what has happened, where she carefully explained neither was right nor wrong, but it was instead, quite simply, the way the nature worked.

* * *

As the boy's got older, they became more daring, going further and further off of on their own. This particular day, Ciel was 8 and Alois was 9.

It had been a queer sort of day. Alois had come by, obviously trying to work himself out of hysterics, but again, he wouldn't tell Ciel what the matter was. Then, when they were standing about in the back yard, he quite suddenly became very calm, and was grinning at Ciel with a look the younger boy couldn't understand.

"Ciel, let's go to the moor! Not to the edge like we usually do, but _into_ the moor!"

"What? No! Why on earth would I want to do such a thing?"

"Oh come-on Ciel, don't be such a baby!"

"Don't call me that!" Ciel said with a stomp.

But Alois smiled purposefully.

"I shall call you whatever I want! Besides, you are a baby! Only babies would be afraid to go out into the moor."

Alois, like Ciel, could be quite cunning. He knew just the kinds of words to trap him.

"We've been out there plenty of times and you know it!" Ciel shouted. "Your mad if you want to go all the way out there wear there's snakes and big cats and wolves-"

"Don't be _stew-pid_ Ciel! Everyone knows there's no wolves in England! Has your mummy been reading you bedtime stories again you big baby?"

Ciel's face burned with embarrassment and he became very, very cross.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"  
**  
"ARE TOO!"**  
**  
"AM NOT! AM NOT! AM NOT!"  
**  
"**FINE!** I'll go by myself then and you can sit here all alone and cry about it!"

But as Alois was angrily stomping away, the boy suddenly felt very lonely without his blonde friend. Resolving that he'd rather be in danger with a friend than safe alone, he ran after.

"Wait for me, wait for me!"

It wasn't quite the marvelous adventure both of them had been hoping for.

The deeps of the moor were much the same as the edge they were used to playing in, but it had been fun all the same. Perhaps, Ciel thought, it was because they were doing something they both knew they ought not to be doing.

"Ciel, do you think if we looked far enough, we could find Wonderland?"

They were lying beside one another amongst the tall grass, staring up at the clouds, both long since forgetting their fear of the moor.

"I dunno. I don't think I'd like to go there anyway."

"Why not?"

"Poor Alive was always getting into trouble, and things were awfully queer there."

Alois turned to look at his friend curiously. Ciel turned too, and their eyes met in a pleasantly lazy gaze.

"Ciel... close your eyes. I want to try something."

"What?" Ciel whined. "Is this going to be like the time you stuck a centipede on my finger?"

"No you twat! This is completely different! Now just do it..."

The young boy grumbled still, but complied with his friend.

In the darkness of his closed eyes, he heard Alois move before him, and quite slowly, something soft and warm pressed against his lips. A pleasant tingle went down his back at the tough, but when he realized what was happening, he jerked backwards.

"What you doing?! Are you dapper?!"

Alois simply shrugged, sitting up so he could look down at Ciel.

"Don't fret so much. Grown-ups do it all the time!"

"I know that, I know that! I'm not stupid!" Ciel shouted, quite red in the cheeks, before sitting up haughtily.

"Only married people kiss and only boys and girls! Not people who are...the same!"

"Do you honestly believe that?" Alois said, rolling his eyes. "Wait, of course you do. I forgot you don't know _anything_. Anybody can kiss Ciel, just as long as you don't do it in front of other people."

Ciel looked awfully conflicted. How did he know his friend wasn't lying to him? Just because Alois was a year older than his, didn't mean he knew everything. Perhaps he was right though...after all, they had kissed, and nothing unpleasant happened because of it.

"But...but doesn't that make us poofers?"

"Oh please... We can be..." He slowly crept towards his young friend, sitting atop him and pushing him down, "We can be whatever we want to be."

Their noses toughed and Ciel, looking quite flustered, closed his eyes as his lips were pecked again. This was very, very odd and he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it…

"See Ciel, nothing bad happened. It can be between us...Just us, if you want it too."

Ciel looked up at his friend, and was surprised to see his usual pompous grin had disappeared, to be replaced by something quite since and almost...sad.

Hesitant, and unsure, but not want to see his friend sad, Ciel pressed a kiss to Alois hovering face.

"Alright then, alright. We can share it Alois. It'll be like a big grand secret and nobody will know accept for us."

Ciel saw perhaps, the most joyful smile he had ever seen on his friends face, and after a few more kissed, they decided to go on a grand hunt for a rabbit hole.

Later the night, after being scolded for nearly an hour (by his mummy who was dearly upset he had run off all day with no regard to his health and no warning for his poor mother) Ciel thought still of the kissed he had shared with his friend.

He wondered how his friend of such grown-up things. Perhaps he had seen his mummy or daddy kiss someone who was… like them. The idea seemed very unlikely though... Then, he thought, just before he drifted to sleep, that perhaps someone had kissed Alois, someone who was the same. But why had Alois looked so sad? He never looked sad... Perhaps he didn't want them too...

And so they grew in both mind and stature, ignorant of the approaching storm.

As long days turned into weeks and months and years, Eastern Europe began to stir. Turmoil surmounted the long the long era of peace that had so sturdily prevailed over chaos.

The war, the accident, and the most _curious _arrival of the new servants. _The most curious arrival of a new butler…_ Yes, yes. Everything was going to change.

**A ho ho, what do we have here? What could the author be foreshadowing?! ;)**

**Review. Reviews inspire me, they will me the strength to go on! They make me happy and fill me with joy :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note: And here we go!**

**Hey guys, thanks so much to Smartapple and Liz1991 for reviews, thank you everyone who followed and thanks to all the lurkers who read my story ;)**

**Anyhoot, just to let you all know my goals for this story, I hope to be able to update at least once every two weeks. Now, as one of my reviewers did point out, I happen to make a lot of grammatical errors, as this shapter will most liekly have, however I assure you I do go through them a couple of times before I post them. But, if you would be interested in being a beta reader for Thr Quiet Front, then please so send me a message!**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

The date was August 2nd, 1914, and Ciel had just awakened to a very queer morning, a very sunny morning. Golden rays shone through the dark curtains, illuminating the wide room with a translucent glow. Solemnly he slipped into a pair of navy short-trousers, a white tailored shirt, a button up vest and his best blazer, for today head an air of the utmost seriousness. With the troubled feeling of apprehension, Ciel walked to the stairs and into the family room.

It became apparent something was very much the matter when he saw his mother and father huddled together, whispering dangerously low. He knew something very terrible had happened.

"Mummy...Daddy... what's wrong? What's going on?"

His parents ceased to whisper and looked up at him.

"Ciel, why don't you go into the kitchen and eat breakfast. We'll be there in a moment."

It was his father who spoke, which was very suspicious because there was a tone of finality in his voice. He looked to his mother, that she might protest in his favor, but she only stared down at the morning news with an expression of the utmost distress.

With a wordless "Humph!" he stomped off to the kitchen, sitting down at the dark mahogany table used for small meals. He detested being treated like a small child! He was older than 10 and a half, and, well, that was quite old enough to know everything!

Ciel was far more intelligent his parents accredited to him. Didn't they know he'd been secretly reading the paper for 3 years now? And besides, whatever wasn't properly explained to him, Alois would improperly divulge in.

Alois was always there to explain unknown adult matters to him; the specifics of how exactly children are produced (oh indeed it had taken Ciel quite some time to believe him), why his mother because very cross every month, who the scantily garbed women in the dark trenches of the city were.

Whatever had happened, Alois would tell him.

And, as sure as the day, when his friend had arrived as he had for years and years, he was bursting with information.

"Ciel, Ciel! Did you hear, did you?!"

He stumbled over his bike, past poppies and roses and lavender bushes, scrambling up the cobbled stone steps to Ciel, who was reading on the patio.

"No, mum and dad wouldn't tell! Oh Alois you must tell me this very instant!"

Alois looked far too excited.

"You haven't heard? It's everywhere, absolutely everywhere!"

"Well, what then? Tell me please and wait no longer!"

There was a long pause, a very long pause and Ciel was becoming very unhappy, as he knew his friend was dragging about to be a nuisance.

Then finally Alois said (half shouted really): "Germany declared war on France! Oh you know what this means don't you?!"

"Of course I know what it means!" He snapped back. "Its means…Britain will declare war on Germany! Oh they must then, France is our ally!"

"Oh yes, they must! Isn't it positively exciting?!"

"Exciting…Well, I don't think I'd use that word…"

Ciel did not think it was very exciting, least of all in a good way. He had read all about war, and it seemed awfully stupid to him, war did. Awfully stupid indeed...

Two days later, it was announced Great Britain had indeed declared was upon Germany.

There was no hiding it now, no denying it. It all over the paper, all anyone was talking about. All week, the telephone was ringing nonstop, people calling for mum and dad and everything was quite chaotic. Men would drive up and down the streets on motorbikes shouting "War, war! Great Britain is at war! We've attacked the Germans! Great Britain is at war!"

And Alois and Ciel were "encouraged" to occupy themselves outside.

"Run along now children, daddy's got a lot to do now, run along. Don't be a bother now!" He father had said, handing them each a pound to go buy whatever they wanted down in the village.

But Ciel understood they were being regarded as nothing less than a liability.

"I hate being treated like a child! I hate it so!"

They were walking to the village to the candy shop, nearly two kilometers away. The weather was uncomfortably warm, but they had nothing else to occupy their time.

"Oh goodness!" Alois cooed with a roll of his eyes. "Don't sound so sour! People will think you me! Besides, aren't you going on a holiday? I should be the one complaining, I scarcely doubt I'll survive the week..."

It was true, Ciel was traveling to London with his parents to visit his cousin Elizabeth for a few days.

"Well I'd rather be here with you! My cousin is simply dreadful. The last time I visited she wanted to put me into a dress and make me go to her tea party!"

"Oh she's not so bad, you're just a bore!" Alois mused, kicking a pebble across the dirt road.

Alois was quite familiar with Elizabeth, as she would often visit in long holidays during the summer. The two got along very splendidly, their favorite game being: "Annoy Ciel and cause him to become very cross."

There were a few houses scatted along the countryside, long green fields filled with goats and sheep and cows and even a few horses. White wild-flowers lightly dusted the long plains of green. The sound of the train whistle sang in the background and somehow it brought Ciel's thought back to the war.

"Ciel..."

"Yes?"

"We'll win won't we? We'll win the war don't you think?"

Ciel scoffed, "Of course we well. Great Britain has never lost a war. We'll crush the Germans."

"Yes, yes your probably right...Oh Ciel! Ciel let's run away!"**  
**  
"What? Are you daft?"

"Run away! We could do it right now and never look back! We could be like the tramps on the railroads!"

Alois sounded quite excited, but living as a vagabond didn't seem very appealing to Ciel. He remembered the dirty faced of the men, both young and old he would see when he and his parents went down to the trolley station. Dirty hair, wearing filthy rags all the time, missing teeth, missing toes, eating canned beans and rats. Well, he wasn't entirely sure about the last part, but he doubted they had second breakfast, or elevenses.

"Whatever would make you think of something so queer?" Ciel inquired, his tone condescending.

"Don't be such a spoil-sport! Wouldn't it be fun? Traveling all over the country, doing whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted!"

"Fun? Living in squalor and being cold and hungry all the time? I should think not! Besides, we wouldn't last a day!"

Alois frowned, though he knew his friend was right. Neither of them had ever truly known a day in poverty, and most certainly knew nothing of living on the street. But it has just been an idea…

When they can upon the hill looking over the village, they were met with a curios sight.

"Ciel, look! Look all the soldiers are getting ready to leave the village! C'mon lets hurry so we can watch them go with everyone else!"

And so they ran down the rest of the way, where lines and lines of young men were marching off in crisp brown uniforms.

_That was quick_, Ciel thought; _we've only been at war for a few days..._

Ciel and Alois pushed their way through the crowd, mothers and lovers crying, waving their handkerchiefs. Fathers looking solemn, and some looking proud. But most, solemn. Like they'd never see their sons again. One thing they shared however was that they were poor folks.

"Alois...Do you think they'll come back?"

But over the clapping and the crying the unintelligible shouts of farewells, Alois could not hear him and Ciel was left alone with his question. But part of him already knew the answer.

He studied the faces of the men as they walked by, as if trying to memorize them. He caught eyes with one of them, who looked more like a boy than a man. The soldier met his gaze with piercing grey eyes.

'Good luck.' Ciel mouthed, before the soldier passed him. He wondered if perhaps the solider hadn't had seen him, or hadn't understood. But looking at the boy walking away, he saw the hint of smile from behind.

_I truly do hope they come back…_He thought with a great sadness, watching them all march off with heads held high to what might me their death. It was at this moment, he began to understand things like sacrifice a bravery, just a little bit better.

They walked back, brown paper bags filled with the fruits of their labors. Peppermint sticks and licorice and butterscotch toffee.

By now the sun was setting over the countryside and the sky was a burnt orange, signifying they had been gone for far too long.

"Better get home quick Ciel before your mummy has a fit!" Ciel gave Alois a playful shove and they parted ways laughing, as Alois's house was down the right road and Ciel's was down the left.

In all actuality Ciel was slightly concerned his mother would scold him something awful for being out so much later than intended. Sure she would understand when he told her he and Alois were watching the soldiers go off to war!

He opened the door. "Mum, father, I'm home!"

But what he was met with was awfully queer. All the lights were turned off, and nobody had answered him.

How awfully queer indeed... "Mum...dad...Tanaka?" He tried again, setting his bag down on a stand the closing the door behind him.

Ciel's shout echoed across the dark, empty halls.

In was very unlikely his parents weren't home. The automobile was still at the house.

He tried listening for voices, but he didn't hear anything.

Walking further down, the strong smell of iron hit his nose, causing his stomach to curdle.

It was blood.

Fearfully he looked around, hoping, praying that it wasn't anyone he loved.

"Se…Sebastian?" Horrified, he looked down at his beloved bulldog, bleeding profusely from a large wound and unmoving.

A bullet wound? Is it a bullet wound? Was he shot?"

Shaking, unable to control himself he went to the base of the stairs and listened again for voices. Something, anything…

_**Beneath the quiv'ring leaves, where shelter comes at last,**__  
_  
And then he could hear it, a record playing faintly from his father's study.

**_All sadness sinks to rest, or glides into the past;_**

Slowly he crept up the stairs, gripping painfully onto the polished wooden railing, his foot making soft 'thump thump thump's.

**_Her sweet eyes prison'd now, in their soft silken bars,_**

"Put the gun down."_  
_  
**_O! my love, calm she sleeps beneath the trembling stars._**

"Fockin' Kings Watchdog! You evil nobleman! You don't understand, you took everything from me!"

**_Ah! wake not yet from thy repose,_**

He walked to the door, as if in a trance, slowly, evenly, his horrible trembling stopped. He turned the golden knob, eyes widening, and eyes unbelieving.

_**A fair dream spirit hovers near thee,**___

"M...mother...father?" Vincent and Rachel sat huddled to the wall, Vincent over his wife, and there were three men, dirty, sallow looking men with pistols in their hands.

"Whatsit? Whose this? This you son? This yur fockin' son? How bout I blow his little head off first eh?"

_**Weaving a web of gold and rose,**___

Two of the men ran to Ciel, roughly grabbing him and forcing him to his knees before he could even try to resist.__

"Get off of me! Let me go, let me go!"

"Ciel!"

And still that record played

**_Through dream land's happy isles to bear thee!_**

"I lost everything because of you! I'm going to lose my son Phantomhive, you hear me? He's off to war!"

The man stepped forward, his small eyes cold and unforgiving.

**_Sleep, love, it is not yet the dawn,_**

"Maybe I ought to return the favor eh? Why not, doesn't matter anymore..."

And the gun was pointed right at his head.

"Please no, I'll give you anything! Please not my son, he's innocent!"  
_  
__**Angels guard thee, **_

"Too late for that...its too late for that."

Ciel closed his eyes.

_**sweet love, til morn!**_

.

.

.  
**BAM!**

_Ciel..._

Ciel... come to me Ciel...

Come to me...

I want to.__

Come to me.

I can't.__

Ciel...  
  
Light. Happy light. Warm light. Bright light. Was this heaven?__

He was floating in it. Floating toward it. And she was floating towards him.

The angel. With hair and wings like snow, and eyes like soft lavender.__

Come to me Ciel...

You are holy. You are pure. You are clean. Follow me. Follow the light.

But he couldn't. Something was pulling him back. And instead of moving up, he felt himself falling...

Falling...

Falling...

Falling...

Then he was surrounded by darkness, darkness as think and flawless as a ravens feather.

A quick flash of red eyes.

And then nothing

* * *

**Oh how I do love cliffhangers.**

**And a quick disclaimer, the song that I used was called "Angels Guard Thee ('Berceuse')", sung by John McCormack, a very famous singer during the WW1 era. Yes I am a history nerd.**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors note:**

**Urg, I swear, this chapter wanted to kill me. Took me way, WAY longer than I wanted to get out, and I do apologize for that. **

**I probably rewrote it about 4 times. I kept on looking at things going "No no no, he wouldn't do that!" Or "She wouldn't say that, they would never do that!" Or "No, this is moving too fast! It doesn't make any sense!". Still not entirely happy with it, but, whatever.**

**The problem is that a lot is changing in this chapter, and it needs to make sense. This is the chapter I introduce Sebastian, not only to the reader but to Ciel's life. I like things to make sense, I like things to have a nice, even pace, albeit a bit slow, which brings me to three warnings:**

**I probably should have started out the story with this, but never-mind.**

**1. I believe Sebastian is a demon, and is therefore evil, corrupt, and sinister. An element often ignored in many fan-fiction. Which is fine, really it is, but this is just what I think. I also believe his only redeeming quality is his dedication, and affectionate attachment to Ciel. My story will reflect this.**

**2. I believe Ciel is mentally...unwell. This is my opinion, and is reflected more so in the manga, his ability to detach himself from normal sentiments or affections held by human beings of his age, and I do believe this goes beyond his parents death and the traumatic events that followed it. My story will reflect this.**

**3. I don't like "And they all lived happily ever after." I don't like happy endings. And I already know how this story will end.**

** Ch. 3 of The Quiet Front.**

* * *

Red.

Red.

Red.

He was burning it it. It surrounded him like water and he was drowning. He went to scream but the flame erupted from his mouth, consuming his very insides, boiling his blood until it burst from his body and, and...

He saw those red eyes again. Burning.

Burning...

Burning...

_Burning..._  
**  
"...!" **Ciel woke from his bed, but he did not scream.

For a moment he was afraid he couldn't speak at all, "Erm...ahh...T..talk...talk Ciel... Ok, ok. Whats going on..."

He sat up, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead in tiny beads.

He couldn't remember how he got here, in his bed, or what had happened. All he could see were the spectral memories of his nightmare imprinted upon his mind.

So he sat there thinking. But moments later an unnatural exhaustion overtook him.

And eventually fell back asleep.

* * *

He head voices, but his body felt so weak...

_"Do you think its fair? To spring all of this on his so suddenly?"_

_"What else can we do Rachel? Everything's changed. We can't wait around any longer. Eventually he'd going to have to inherit one of my jobs, and I'd rather it not be...well, you know."_

_"Yes, yes Vincent. I know. Believe me, I know..."_

_"And to think Rachel...we almost lost him...if it hadn't been for..."_

He fell back to a dreamless sleep, forgetting all what he had heard.

* * *

Once again, Ciel awoke, but this time he felt a fresh, rejuvenating vigor. Why, he felt much better than he had in a very, very long time! In a burst of gusto, he threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, stretching his limbs, which felt unusually sore. Something else didn't feel right though...

Ciel went to dress himself, but when he went to reach for the handle on his bureau he found the object was further away than he has thought, as his fingers grasped through the empty hair.

_How queer!_ He thought. _Is there something wrong with my vision? Perhaps I must properly wake up first..._

Besides, he had just noticed he smelled of sweat and felt awfully sticky. He would need a bather after he bid his parent good morning.

And he turned around in his room. To leave through the door.

But then he saw his reflection in the mirror.

What...What is that?

The vigor felt gone. The freshness disappeared. Cautiously he walk to the mirror, realizing just how ghostly he had looked

Translucent skin, dark hair disheveled, and a thick, white gauze covering his right eye.

What...what happened? He tried to remember everything that had occurred, but he could remember almost nothing... Nothing but music playing in the background, and...and a gunshot and then...red eyes.

Clutching his head he fell to the ground, his own mind pained at the failed attempts to recall the previous happenstance. It was all in his head, but it was being blocked. As if someone had taken his memories and shut them behind a locked door.

Oh well, It didn't matter as this exact moment.

Ciel tip-toed down the halls, wondering if perhaps it had all been a dream. Everything seemed normal. Normal enough.

"Vincent, I don't like this..."

As Ciel softly came down the stairs, he could hear his parents taking in the dining room. Ciel had learned long ago the importance of listening to his parents conversations when they weren't aware of his presence. They seemed to discuss things he ought to know when they thought he wasn't around. Why, one time...

_"Vincent! Did you hear what Ciel came home saying today? Well he heard it from Alois! I don't like them hanging out.."_

_"Oh Rachel, let them be. They're boys. Besides, Ciel's going to have to figure that stuff out anyway. Whose going to tell him?"_

And since then Ciel was very very careful about what he mentioned around his parents, particularly Alois said it. But such a happening only reinforced his belief that eavesdropping was the best source of valuable information, and judging by the serious tones of his parents, this conversation would be no different.

"It's not fair for him to keep you like this! Especially not now, not when we need you..."

"I don't like it anymore than you do, I promise you Rachel. But I can't help it. I'll be away a lot more now, and you already know how I feel."

"Vincent...I don't...I don't _trust** him**_, alright? I know you do, but I don't want him here, near me, near Ciel, without you..."  
_  
Are they talking about two different people?_ Ciel wondered._ They must be. Oh I wish they'd use names!_

"Rachel please. Please...I'm not asking you to trust him, I'm asking you to trust me. You saw what almost happened... Now I come up against things like that all the time, but this time was different. You and Ciel were there, and I was completely useless. He can protect you where I wont be able to..."

There was a silence and Ciel wondered if he should pretend to just walk in now.

"You know what they're calling this don't you?" It was his mother, sounding somewhere between completely exasperated and utterly miserable.

"They're calling it 'The War to End All Wars'."

He heard is father usher a deep, pained sigh. "It certainly seems like it..."

Ciel decided to make his entrance now, yawning and stretching for good effect. They both turned to him.

"Ciel! Oh Ciel my darling!" His mother exclaimed, running up and scooping the boy into her arms as if he were 6 again. She kissed his cheek all over, and his father came by wrapping them in a tight embrace.

"Ciel, you should have called mummy and daddy upstairs when you woke up!"

"Mum there's nothing wrong with my legs..."

His father squeezed them tighter. "That's my boy, tough as nails!"

The ghost of a smile touched the young boys face, but he found it rather forced, as he had little to feel joyful for.

When they finally let him down, he looked up at them questioningly.

"Mum, dad, whats going on? My eye and...I feel as if I've been asleep for a very, very long time..."

There was a pause.

"Do you...do you really not remember anything?"

His mother looked at his father with a look Ciel could neither recognize nor interpret. Was is relief, surprise, or confusion, or worry? Perhaps a bit of all, though if that was so Ciel could not understand such a reaction.

"Ciel..." His father started. "There was an accident. Tanaka was driving you to Ms. Giordano, for your Latin lessons."

His memories flashed to the wrinkly old maid who drove to the manor 3 days a week and _attempted_ to teach him the language. She often smelled of cheap cigars and strong perfume and he wasn't utterly fond of her.

"She wasn't feeling well enough to come down here... So we decided to just bring you to her... but the car was hit head on, by a driver who had lost control of his..."

There was a silence again as Ciel slowly reached for the bandage on his eye, meticulously running over the rough feel of the woven bandage.

Another awkward silence started and tears began to dream down Rachel's face.

"Ciel... The doctor said you'd probably never be able to see out of it again, he said-"

"What of Tanaka?" He asked, cutting her off.

Both parents looked surprised.

However pleasantly so, inwardly beaming at the sons apparently selflessness.

"Tanaka...is alive. Physically, he's fine. But I think something happened to him. The doctor said he may have suffered a heart-attack. Either way, he is in no state of mind to perform butler duties, and we have taken the liberty of hiring a new butler, who may or may not arrive later today."

"A new butler? A new butler you can't hire a new butler! What of Tanaka? We can't just throw him out, we-"

"Ciel, _Ciel,_ calm down son. Tanaka will continue to live with us. He'd taken care of our family for generations; we could never throw him out."

The tight frown on Ciel's face slowly started to loosen. One could never be too sure, as such sediment was uncommon among aristocrats. But his father has always been slightly queer in that sense. He remembered the great outcry from Alois when his parents had thrown out the ONE servant he actually liked because she grew too old to move around anymore...

"And what of this new butler? When shall he be arriving, today or tomorrow? It's awfully improper not to give a time!"

"Yes, yes." His father started. "Well he is coming a long way, and with all the possible interruptions its quite difficult to give an exact time and-"

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

Three, perfect knocks echoed throughout the manor. Someone was rapping upon the door.

Abruptly they stopped talking. Vincent and Rachel again exchanged that unfamiliar looked, the one they had shared when Ciel told them he didn't remember anything.

With a heedful step, Vincent moved ahead of them towards the door, Rachel and Ciel following curiously behind.

Vincent peered through the peephole and jumped back with a start, muttering to himself incoherently and straightening out his suit jacket.

Firmly, he grasped the doorknob and opened the door. A pained motion for whatever reason.

Ciel could do nothing but gasp.

The man was tall, just a bit taller than his father. He was dressed smartly, in a long dark travelers coat and a bowlers cap. His hair stood out against his pale, pale skin for it was as dark as a raven's feather. And his eyes. Ciel noticed his eyes, for they were an unusually color and he could not decide if they were brown or red.

They were like cranberries.

"Sebastian Michaelis." His father said in a slightly strained voice. "Your here a bit earlier than I expected. Silly enough, we were just talking about you..."

The man smirked, looked highly amused, and unusually...unsurprised. "Oh yes, silly indeed. But if you'll check your watch you'll find the time is exactly 3pm. And what kind of butler would I be if I didn't execute pristine promptness my lord?" His voice hung on Ciel's ears like silk for it was rich and smooth and deep. The man's eyes wandered to Ciel, almost as if he were addressing the boy.

_Could he know what I said?_ Ciel thought. _No, no, that's nonsense. That's impossible._

"Please, come in. You will be taking the spare room downstairs, in the back of the house, and once you've settled your stuff there you can come into my office to discuss the keys and the rules of my house."_  
_

Ciel continued to looked up at the man, hanging onto his mothers dress.

"Vincent..." His mother said carefully. "Why don't you introduce Ciel."

"Oh, yes, yes of course! Sebastian, you've met Rachel, but I don't believe you know my son, Ciel."

His father motions for Ciel to step forward, but he shook his head vigorously.

Vincent let out a small laugh. "Please excuse my son. He's shy around strangers.

The man smiled and bowed toward Ciel, white glove upon his chest.

"What a brave young master you are. Your father informed me of what had happened, but why, you don't look scared at all!"

However Ciel's frown did not leave. He knew this game the the perverse meanings that followed it.

"Your just saying that so that I'll like you." He said miserably. "All the adults do that, but they don't really mean it..."

Rachel's face visibly paled and Vincent seemed to sputter over his words. They had not expected that sort of response from their usually quiet and polite son, but Sebastian, that man, seemed even more amused as his smile widened and his eyes seemed to grow even darker.

"My my, what a smart young master. Very smart indeed." He laughed and it was deep and melodic, yet for some reason it gave Ciel the unpleasant sensation of goosebumps. He had yet to decide if he liked this man.

He could tell immediately, being the highly perceptive little boy he was, there was something queer going on between this...Sebastian, and his parents.

Some sort of secret. Something they didn't want him to find out.

Ciel looked up at the man standing in his doorway, holding only a suitcase and not an trickle of uncertainty on his entire being.

Whatever oddness was occurring, he was going to find out.

* * *

**Le gasp! Why would Ciel's parents lie to him? Whats going on between them and the mysterious Sebastian Michaelis?!**

**Review? Yes? Yes!**

**STILL LOOKING FOR A BETA READER!**


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